Flowers

One cut above a pair of leaves can turn one stem into two. Here is when to pinch annuals, chop perennials and cut back tired summer flowers, in all six Australian climate zones.

March is sweet pea and biennial time in southern gardens, while tropical gardens sow heat lovers and hold cool-season flowers until April. Here is what to sow in each of Australia's six climate zones, and why the timing matters.

February seed becomes autumn, winter and spring colour. Here is what to sow in all six Australian climate zones, how to raise seedlings through late-summer heat, and which summer flowers to leave for seed.

A January sowing brings late-summer and autumn colour and starts the cool-season flowers. Here is what to sow in each of the six Australian climate zones, how to raise pansies and stock through summer heat, and how to cut back tired annuals for a late flush.

Every zone can sow a heat-loving flower in December, from a single choice in the tropics to the longest list in cool and alpine gardens. Here is what to sow where, and how to keep the seed row cool and damp until it comes up.

Warm soil is the cue for zinnia, celosia, amaranth and sunflower. Here is the November flower list for all six Australian climate zones, with pinching, feeding at bud stage and staking.

Warm soil is the signal for zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers. Here is the October flower list for all six Australian climate zones, with picks for bees, the vase and a few to handle with care.

Homegrown flowers wilt for reasons that have nothing to do with luck. Cutting time, stem type and the first hour in water decide how long the vase lasts.

A packet of perennial seed costs less than one potted plant and can fill a border. Which perennials come easily from seed, which need a cold spell, and how long each takes to bloom.

Every flower left to set seed tells the plant its work is done. Deadheading resets that message. Where to cut, which plants respond, and the ones you should leave alone.

A healthy green plant with no buds is telling you something specific. Work through the nine usual causes, from too much nitrogen to the wrong day length, and fix the one that fits.

One flower, or hundreds? A sunflower head is not a single flower. The centre is packed with hundreds of tiny disc florets, each a complete flower t...